Friday, July 29, 2011

Every summer I try to spend some time experimenting with new techniques and styles. These pieces are my takes on the technique I learned from Jounni Seppanan in San Francisco. I used horsetail pinned to a foam base with the pins forming part of the design. I added in ferns and orchids and put the piece in a ceramic square with a mirror finish that works with the silver pin heads. I love the background of the tower of horsetail - this is a versatile piece and many different types of flowers could be used - and I will be trying some more in the days to come.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

I really love working with paper, making crowns and bunting and stuff. It is lots of fun and instant gratification. I bought the central rosette at Michael's and added the music score cones and the lime green paper accents.

I made this piece for my friend Becca who just had a baby boy and will send it off later today - hope she likes it.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

One of the things I like most about going to the AIFD symposiums is seeing all the small details in the work. I loved this vase covered with leaves. The texture is beautiful and it would enhance any arrangement. It would be fun to do this and see how the leaves would hold up over time.

Monday, July 18, 2011

After the AIFD conference in San Francisco was over, I stayed for a one day workshop with Finnish floral designer Jounni Seppanan. His work is beautiful and very interesting. We copied one piece of his in the morning - the piece with the arc of orchids overlaying a fan of roses on top of a tower of horsetail. The mechanics of this piece were pretty interesting. In the afternoon he had us bundle the ends of curly willow branches (about 30 pieces 10 inches long) with rubber bands and told us to make an arrangement. His arrangement stood in a plastic plate and had a naturalistic arrangement of grasses and flowers coming from the top, I opted to wrap the bundle with an asplenium leaf and then to tuck a very few fabulous David Austin roses into the bundle of sticks. Jounni liked this approach and I was pleased.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

One of the best parts of the AIFD Symposium was a trip to the flower market. It was huge! Over 80 vendors in a block long space. The choice of products of all types was overwhelming. I loved these lemons and oranges on stems.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Last week I was at the AIFD 2011 symposium in San Francisco. 4 days of nothing but flowers, it was so great with lots of wonderful arrangements and floral objects to consider. There were dinner parties on two nights, and for one of them we made floral jewelry to wear. I made this necklace from layered smoke bush leaves under a shaped flat wire flower decorated with some chartreuse lichen and a flower bud. The chain from is layered copper boullion wire. It was light and easy to wear.

Slow Flowers Member

Chapel Designer

Independent Floral Designers Association

Ellen Seagraves

I am a Washington DC area floral designer with over 15 years of experience. I have a BFA in Weaving and Textile Design and often incorporate elements of those disciplines into my work. I work in a wide range of styles to suit the various needs of clients.
I am a proud member of both the Chapel Designers and the Independent Floral Designers Association and am rated on Wedding Wire.
As a student of Ikebana, I often apply those design forms to my own work. I work on my own and with a number of other designers and students to expand my artistic sensibilities.
My arrangements have been featured in a large number of venues including The White House, the French Embassy Cultural Center, The National Botanic Garden, and Blair House. Contact me at 301.675.1728 or esea654@gmail.com. I am also on Facebook at Ellen Seagraves Chic Florals.